When I stepped into my very first Ops role, I had little understanding of what it actually meant. I was excited about moving into the next chapter of my career, and that chapter just happened to be Operations. I knew there would be challenges, but I didn’t really care much because:

A) I was ready to prove myself.
B) Every job has challenges, right?

But the deeper I got into Ops, the more I realised the sheer variety and volume of challenges we deal with. Some are obvious and expected. Others arrive quietly, draining our energy without warning and testing our resilience week after week. And I’ve noticed something else: the more senior we become, the less we talk about them.

Why is that? Is it because many Ops leaders feel like we should be able to handle them silently, efficiently, and without complaint? Or because we don’t expect to find much support or understanding when we do speak up? Or because, after years in Ops, it’s hard to admit that we’re still struggling?

Whatever the reasons, it’s time we stop hiding the challenges we face as Ops leaders. The work we do is essential, but it’s not always easy and it can take its toll, so it’s important that we talk about our struggles. In that spirit, I’m sharing ten challenges I’ve personally experienced in Ops leadership. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s just you struggling behind the scenes, I hope this helps you realise it’s not - we all do. And the more open we are about those struggles, the more we can prepare ourselves, support each other, and build stronger, more sustainable careers in Ops for ourselves and the next generation.

Happy learning!

No clear mandate

When I landed my Director of Operations role, I was thrilled. It felt like a massive milestone (and an exciting one too!). But almost immediately, I ran into the first real challenge: what exactly was I supposed to own? What was the actual scope of my role? What were my priorities? What did success even look like? I wasn’t entirely sure, and, as it turned out, neither were many people around me.

In my article, Eight Best Practices to Become a More Effective Operations Leader, I wrote about how Operations roles, even at the highest levels, come with a lot of ambiguity. Many organisations haven’t fully thought through what Ops is meant to own. And that lack of clarity creates overwhelm, misalignment, and a lot of second-guessing.

Illustration of a female Head of Operations surrounded by question marks, representing uncertainty around Ops leadership roles and responsiblities

Top Tip: Don’t wait for permission. Define your role and success criteria proactively, and share it openly with leadership and key teams. Help them understand exactly why you’re here, and how you can help the business grow and scale.

High accountability, low control

One of the hardest things I had to learn as an Ops leader is that you can be fully responsible for the outcome without actually having the power to make it happen. Like me, I’m sure you’ve had moments where you were expected to deliver efficiencies, improvements, and impressive results, with limited budget, limited resources, and no real decision-making power. It creates exhaustion, tension, and frustration, especially when things go wrong and you’re the one people look at, not the limitations you were working with. It made me feel like a superhero without superpowers more times than I’d like to admit.

But in Ops, we do have superpowers. We’re natural problem-solvers. We think outside the box. And we’re uniquely positioned to work across teams and functions. When formal authority is missing, we learn to lead through trust, influence, and action.

Top tip: Focus on building strong relationships and trust at every level. That’s how you gain influence when authority is limited. Be loud about your wins, and link them to business outcomes. The more people see the value of what you’re doing, the more they’ll want to say yes to you when you need their support.

Constant firefighting

I used to start my week with a plan: priorities mapped out, goals in mind, ready to tackle the “important but not urgent” work that would actually move the business forward. And then… Monday happened. And my plan went straight out the window… I found myself solving problems in real time, jumping into emergencies, and responding to last-minute demands that could’ve easily been avoided with better planning. Week after week, firefighting became the default mode, and the things that really mattered kept slipping further down my list.

You can only run like that for so long. Eventually, you realise that no matter how much energy you pour into your work, you’re barely staying afloat, and you’re definitely not moving the business forward. You start to feel it personally too. The frustration. The mental fatigue. The slow, creeping sense that you’re spending all your time reacting instead of leading.

Fire extinguisher and icons of alerts, complaints, and deadlines symbolizing firefighting mode and reactive problem-solving in operations.

Top tip: Block out two afternoons a week for proactive work, and protect that time like it’s a meeting with your CEO.

Constant urgency

While I advocate for prioritising strategic, proactive work, I’ve also learned that some firefighting is just part of the job. It’s unavoidable. Things break. New issues pop up. Last-minute requests land in your inbox. Deadlines get closer.

The sense of urgency in Ops is on a whole other level, because it’s constant. There’s always something urgent to someone, and sometimes, it’s multiple things all at once. But you can’t handle everything at the same time, especially when you’re also trying to prioritise proactive work. That means learning to push back when urgency threatens to take over your entire week.

Top tip: Build a structure to prioritise urgent requests based on real impact, not just who shouts the loudest. And also remember that what feels urgent to someone else might not be urgent to you. Always ask for context and clarify expectations.

Everyone’s problems become Ops problems

Serving internal and external customers is at the heart of what we do in Operations. It’s literally the essence of the role - we’re here to solve problems and remove friction. The issue starts when Ops becomes the place where every problem gets pushed, regardless of whether it actually belongs there.

Too messy? Send it to Ops. Too complex? Ops can handle it. Too busy to deal with it? Let’s give it to Ops. Unclear who owns it? Must be Ops, right?

I’ve experienced just about every one of these scenarios (and plenty more). But not every problem is an Ops problem. We’re hired to be strategic enablers: to optimise, streamline, improve, and create value, and not to be the organisation’s dumping ground.

Team of three people solving other department problems because everyone problem's become Ops problems

Top tip: Set boundaries and learn to say no. It might feel like the opposite of serving the business, but it’s not. You’re doing it so you can serve, by protecting your time, energy, and focus for the real operational problems that need solving.

Scaling without resources

Many businesses are scaling fast, because today, there are more opportunities than ever. Suddenly, your company has more clients, more employees, more systems and tools, and more complexity. But Ops? It’s not uncommon for Ops to be left exactly as it was: same team, same stack, no additional budget, no time to redesign, and maybe just a vague promise to “figure Ops out later.” Meanwhile, the expectations haven’t changed at all. You’re still meant to keep everything running smoothly - just now at twice the volume.

What’s often forgotten is that Ops isn’t just a support function; it’s what makes sustainable growth possible. As Ops leaders, we need to fight for Operations to grow and evolve with the business - not later, and definitely not never - so we can truly support its evolving needs.

Top tip: Track where Ops time and effort actually go. Quantify the cost of manual work, delays, or recurring issues. Data helps you make the case for headcount, automation, or operational investment.

Tool chaos

As the business grows and teams expand, it’s only natural that new tools and systems get introduced. And that’s absolutely fine. The problem starts when there’s no clarity on how those tools are chosen, implemented, or maintained.

Sales wants a new CRM? No problem.

Marketing prefers a different platform? Of course! Let them have it.

Customer Support found their own helpdesk tool? Amazing initiative! Or… is it?

This is how tool chaos begins. And then, all of the sudden, you have a tech stack full of tools that no one really owns. They sort of work… but they don’t talk to each other. Data gets duplicated (or worse, locked in silos), manual workarounds become the norm, and no one’s entirely sure who has access to what. And when you try to address it? You hit resistance, because people are too attached to their tools.

Collection of business system icons including CRM, HR, finance, communication, and inventory, illustrating fragmented systems and tool chaos

Top tip: Run a full tool audit. Track what’s actually used, where the gaps are, and where tools are creating more work than they solve. Use that evidence to lead clear, solution-focused conversations about consolidating, integrating, or replacing systems.

Hard to get visibility and buy-in

This has honestly been one of the most frustrating challenges for me in Ops. We do so much behind the scenes. We solve problems before anyone even notices they exist. We prevent things from breaking. We keep teams moving. And yet… very few people stop to think about the effort that goes into making that happen. Even fewer offer appreciation or support.

Doing work that feels invisible, day in, day out, can be disheartening. And there may be times when it holds you back from progressing in your career or getting that well-deserved pay rise, simply because others don’t see the value you’re creating. But I’ll say it again: Ops is essential. It’s business-critical. And we deserve to be recognised, appreciated, and supported just like any other team. So if no one’s making it visible for us, then we have to make it happen ourselves.

Top tip: Start a monthly “Ops Snapshot” to build awareness and credibility. Share small wins and link them to business outcomes to help others see value you’re creating.

People love speed and shortcuts

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to explain why spending a few extra minutes - filling in a request form properly, completing a checklist, or following the next step in the process - can save hours of confusion later. It used to drive me crazy. I’d think: Do they really believe I’m creating these processes and workflows for fun?

Now I know, it’s not that people don’t value processes (though some really don’t!). It’s that they value speed more. And if they can find a shortcut, skip a step, or create their own quicker workaround, you can bet they will. But speed without structure is risky. And it’s our job to find smart ways to slow people down just enough to avoid unnecessary risk.

Process flow diagram with arrows and an hourglass showing employees always try shortcuts and faster ways of doing things.

Top tip: Involve teams in shaping processes. Don’t just hand them over. When people help design the way things work, they’re far more likely to follow through.

Resistance on every front

Ops leaders are often seen as trailblazers (or, depending on who you ask, troublemakers). We're hired to drive improvements, increase efficiency, and lead transformation. Which sounds exciting… until you remember that all of that requires change. And people? We don’t really like change.

So no matter how well-intentioned our efforts are, we face resistance more often than we’d like. Sometimes it’s loud and direct, other times it’s quiet and subtle. A bit of indifference. A lack of follow-through. A passive-aggressive eye roll when you suggest yet another form or a cleaner workflow. But, of course, overcoming resistance is possible, and it’s a skill Ops leaders must master.

Top tip: Start small. Solve a pain point people actually care about, and show how your process removes friction. Quick wins build trust. And trust opens doors for bigger change.

Next steps

Take advantage of the tips: Pick one that resonates most and give it a try this week. No pressure to fix everything at once - small steps lead to big shifts!
Join the conversation: What other challenges are you facing right now? Let us know in the comments below. We love learning from other Ops leaders!
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10 challenges Ops leaders face (and how to tackle them)